Merced County Education: Which school had most students enrolled in 2023-24 school year?

Atwater High School had the highest enrollment among Merced County schools, welcoming 2,051 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the California Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 52.1% were boys, and 47.9% were girls.

Among the 105 schools in Merced County, Golden Valley High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 1,955 students, while Merced High School welcomed 1,951 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Atwater High School is part of Merced Union High School District, which roughly covers schools within Merced County and has a main office in Merced.

In the previous school year, Atwater High School also had the largest number of students among Merced County schools.

Although chronic absenteeism in California decreased in 2023, it remains double the pre-pandemic rate. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, chronic absenteeism in the state public schools reached 25% in 2023, up from 12% in 2019.

After peaking at 6.3 million in the early 2000s, public school enrollment in California has marked its seventh consecutive decline in the 2023-24 school year, with projections indicating it could fall to approximately 5.2 million by the 2033-34 school year. This trend is attributed to lower birth rates, slowed immigration, and families relocating out of state due to high housing costs. Rural and coastal districts have been particularly affected, facing tough decisions such as school closures and staffing reductions.